Photonics Projects

TeraHertz Cell Cluster Imaging

(Contact: Prof. D. Abbott, dabbott@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

With this program, Australia will benefit from the interaction between physics, engineering, biology and medicine to develop a new TeraHertz imaging system. The project will identify the factors that contribute to TeraHertz contrast in soft tissue cell cultures, thereby developing a non-invasive imaging system to show contrast between diseased and healthy cells. This is a fundamental step towards a system for diagnosing disease states of skin cells, for example, the early detection of melanoma. Ultimately, Australia will benefit from a new technology, and new diagnostic biomedical techniques, for rapid, non-invasive and reliable skin cancer diagnosis.

Support: Australian Research Council

Ultra High Speed Photonic Data Converters

(Contact:  Dr. S.F. Al-Sarawi, alsarawi@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

This project involves novel designs for very high-speed data converters using Self Electro-optic Effect Device. The project has two main streams, the first is the design of novel architectures for Nyquist rate analog-to-digital converters that operate at 10-50 GSample per second with four to five bits of resolution, while the second stream is concerned with novel data converters that operate at a similar number of samples per second with much higher resolution in the order of 16-20 bits. The latter is achieved by trading the resolution in time for the required bit resolution, hence over sampling data converter principles are utilised. The project involves designs at a number of system design levels that include architectural, circuits and device level. The application of the over sampling converters are in wideband communications surveillance systems and digital radio receivers, which require high speed, high resolution and high linearity data converters. The high speed Nyquist rate data converter are used in generic wideband electronic systems that require very high speed converters but with less demanding specifications for resolution and linearity

Support: Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Modelling and Measurements of Biomolecules in the T-ray Band

(Contact: Prof. D. Abbott, dabbott@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

This project seeks to develop propagation techniques based on the reciprocity principle. Such techniques have the potential to greatly accelerate propagation calculations and hence allow complex environments to be assessed. The practical application is mainly directed towards the analysis of mobile communication in the urban environments.

Support: Australian Research Council

TeraHertz Signal Classification

(Contact:  Dr. B.W. Ng, bwng@eleceng.adelaide.edu.au)

A TeraHertz (THz) imaging system potentially provides a fast and non-invasive means to perform detection in a wide range of applications ranging from medical diagnosis assistance to security. The operating principle of such systems is the existence of a "fingerprint" of different material when subjected to THz imaging. A crucial component in the system is an automatic classifier that is capable of distinguishing between these different fingerprints. This project focusses on novel pattern recognition techniques for THz imaging applications.

Support: The University of Adelaide